Ravish
by Kadaj
Summary: Lance disapproved. Her mother disapproved. Hell, even Lyra disapproved of her attraction to the Rocket...but there was no way for her to stop it. Proton x Lyra
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hey there! This is another Lyra/Proton fic I'm starting, just because I am sooo in love with this couple. Lyra's sixteen in this, to avoid any confusion. Just as well, this will eventually be bumped up to M. Left it as Teen for now.  
Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.

Lyra remained motionless as he circled her, eyes roaming every part of her body. She shut her eyes, silently wishing him away. She flinched as a hand brushed up against her arm; her eyes shot open. He stood in front of her, eyes cold and dark, reminding her of the grassy fields of New Bark Town. He said nothing…he simply stared.

Ambushing the Rockets in the Radio Tower had been going well, up until she had come across Proton. Even though he hadn't admitted it, it was obvious he saw right through her disguise. His eyes didn't lie. He cocked his head to the side, crossing his arms with a child like innocence. She knew it was all a game; he was, after all, supposedly the cruelest of all the Rockets.

"The uniform doesn't suit you. Take it off." Lyra jumped at the sound of his voice, low and smooth in the empty room. She was silent for a moment, not knowing exactly how to respond. She eventually found her voice however, narrowing her eyebrows.

"No," was all she managed, but it was enough to get her point across. At this statement Proton sneered, uncrossing his arms and moving towards her swiftly. She instantly started to take steps back, until her back hit the wall. She gulped; he stopped a step away. He cocked his head once more, letting a small smirk curl upwards on his lips; Lyra inwardly shuddered. Though she was brave and courageous, sometimes those traits ended up getting her in way over her head. This was one of those times. The sixteen year old braced herself as he took one more step towards her, closing the gap with ease. She could smell his cologne.

She froze as his hand moved towards her head, sliding off the grunt cap and dropping it to the floor. Great, now she was going to be disrobed by a Team Rocket Executive in the middle of a Radio Tower. Lovely. Carefully, her hand dropped to her belt, fingers easing towards her pokeballs.

His reaction was instant; his hand moved like a flash to grab hers, tightly gripping it with a strength that made her cry out. He grinned at this, ripping the belt off her waist and tossing it across the room. Fearfully, she stared up at him, head feeling bare without a cap on top of it. She was defenseless.

_Shing!_

Lyra dared not to move as a knife flicked into his hand, and gently started to trace her chest. She swallowed sharply, watching its every movement carefully. Proton looked thoughtfully at the blade, before shaking his head and smiling creepily.

"No, I don't want to cut up a uniform. That would be such a waste, don't you agree Lyra?" She said nothing; he slashed it across her hair, slicing a few strands free. She paled.

"Y-Yes," she stumbled out, tripping over her words as the blade dangled near her jugular. Faster than her eye could watch, Proton flung the blade into the wall inches from her head. She didn't even have time to jump. He placed his hands on either side of her head, staring deep into her own bright eyes. He said nothing, his face unreadable as he stood there and just watched her. She squirmed.

"You are a conflict. You get me off track. You need to stop that." At this she squirmed more, staring at him defiantly, her courage slowly returning; this made Proton grin even more.

"I'm not just going to stand around and let you do all of this, it's not right-"

"You are a conflict to my psyche. You mess with my head. _Stop it Lyra_," he hissed, leaning in close enough to where she could feel his warm breath hitting her face. She scrunched against the wall as close as she could, palms sweating. "I don't like the way you make me feel sometimes, so fucking stop it." She shook her head desperately, fear overtaking her once more as anger started to spark in Proton's eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about Proton-ah!" she cried as he suddenly closed the space completely between them, body pressing against hers harshly. He leaned in close once more, eyes watching her carefully for any movement; she remained completely still, eyes wide as heat pooled between their legs. He said nothing else, and instead pressed his lips against her own.

Lyra stood in shock, not knowing exactly how to respond. Her body told her one thing, her mind another. Proton had always had a sort of primal feel about him, one that was a part of him that she had thought about quite a bit. Her mind always ended up pushing it away, knowing nothing good would come of it. Instead she tried to think about other men, like maybe Silver or Ethan. However, none had really sparked her interest like Proton had; she had a certain disgust, yet craving for the Rocket that no one else had fulfilled. She tensed, before tentatively opening her mouth to allow entrance for his probing tongue.

She felt him smile against him, and let out a small squeal as she was ripped against the wall and thrown to the floor. Her head spun as it hit the ceramic tile, dazed for a minute. It was only then that she noticed Proton was deftly taking off her clothing, piece by piece.

"H-Hey wait," she tried to protest, but all Proton did was stare up at her smirking as he effortlessly pulled off one boot.

"Oh, did you want the boots on?" She blushed intensely from the ground, flinching as he pulled off another.

"I just…normally don't jump into-"

"And I am not normal," he leered, leaving her feet exposed to the cold air. Slowly, he crawled up to her, pulling off his own gloves with ease. His bare hand brushed against the skin of her slightly exposed stomach, and she shivered. He took that as all right, hands deftly moving to pull her top off. Her face was red as a tomato as Proton eyed her pink lace bra, licking his lips slightly as he scanned over every bit of her exposed breasts. The Rocket gleefully kneeled next to her, eyes roving over her whole figure despite the fact that she still had the skirt. He suddenly locked eyes with her.

"You're a virgin."

She nodded.

"Perfect." And with that, he swooped down and captured her lips ferociously in his own, tongue demanding entrance. She moaned in his mouth as his hand brushed against her chest, roaming to the back of her bra and unclipping it easily. Cold air hit her breasts, but was quickly replaced by his warm mouth; she let out a cry and flung her head back as his tongue swept against her nipple. She squirmed and writhed, sensations of pleasure shooting up her spine that she had never felt before. Wetness intensified between her legs; she was sure there was a pool building beneath her on the floor. Proton did not stop his assault, moving his mouth to the right bud but keeping his fingers place firmly on the left.

Her hands found her way to his head, discarding his hat and burrowing into his hair. She held tightly, pulling with every tantalizing move he made. She could no longer contain her moans, yelling loudly as he sucked and nibbled. Her last boyfriend had never made her feel like this, despite his hardest he had tried. Proton…was all-together a different kind of being. He knew what he was doing; he was not an awkward virgin like Rich had been. She gave a start as Proton suddenly halted, head raised. A phone beeped and vibrated near her leg; he swiftly pulled one out of his pocket while Lyra just stared in awe. He put a long finger over his lips, shushing her with a smirk.

"Yeah?...There's a suspicious Grunt walking around? Yeah, I'll head up to the fourth floor and keep an eye out. Got it. Proton out." Proton rolled his eyes, tossing the phone back into his pocket with a groan. He crawled back on top of her, plunging his tongue deep between her lips once more. Slowly, he pulled slightly away, eyes drawn to her own. "Sorry babe…duty calls. I promise this won't be it though. We'll finish…another time."

Lyra gaped from the floor as Proton stood and brushed himself off, sliding his hat back on and rearranging his obviously tight pants. Smirking once more, he stared down at her lustfully.

"Goddamn, I would take you now if I could," he said slyly, licking his lips. Instead he tossed her the shirt, gloves, and boots, sighing as he did so. "Make yourself presentable. There could be others watching." And with a wink, Proton turned on his heel, stepping out the door and shutting it with a small click.

Lyra finally sat up, head spinning as she did so. Her lower region ached with desire, panties soaked through completely. Feeling both disgusted and incredibly turned on, she wobbled to her feet, grabbing a hold of the desk nearby to steady herself. Guilt spread through her bones. This was not something she normally did; there had only been one guy she had even kissed in her life. Slowly, she got dressed, taking careful time to make herself look as normal as possible. Eyes glued to the door, she grabbed her belt from the floor and replaced it back around her next.

Gathering her courage, she pulled herself together and walked through the door.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Short chapter, I know. Sorry!

Chapter 2

A few months later.

Lyra tossed and turned restlessly under the Pokemon Center's sheets. Her dreams were vivid, filled with warm scenes that were all too realistic for her tastes. Sweat poured down her cheeks in slow drops; her eyes were squeezed shut tightly.

She was dreaming of _him _again.

With a small yelp, she shot up from her pillow, panting. Clothes soaked in sweat, she pulled back her covers, flopping back down with a sigh as the cold air hit her moist body. Tentatively, her hand fell to her crotch; she pulled her moist fingertips away with a disgusted look. She groaned and turned to her side, eyes glued to the window. Her room was pitch black, with little light emanating from it.

Ever since that day in the Radio Tower, Proton always invaded her dreams; she was becoming tired of it. When it wasn't in her dreams, he was invading her thoughts. When he wasn't invading her thoughts…well that meant that she had lucked out that day.

Silver had found her after the episode with Proton. He saw through her disguise as well, naturally, demanding she take off the uniform; as tears started to form in her eyes, however, he shut his mouth, avoiding her drowning eyes. He mumbled something then left, leaving Lyra to climb the tower and face her violator on her own. When she had found him, he had acted completely normal, as expected. His face did not betray him once, even as she completely demolished him in a Pokemon battle. After that, Lyra had not seen him nor any other Rocket since then. A part of her hoped they were all gone…while a tiny bit of her secretly hoped to come across Proton once more; things had been left unsaid, and Lyra needed to clear things up.

Her eyes drifted to the badge container placed on the nightstand. Tomorrow she would challenge Claire, and hopefully win the final badge she needed to enter the Pokemon League. She knew sleep would not come easy, however, not after waking up from one of those dreams.

"Look at this. Team Rocket is scattered…and you're still being a conflict in my life. Tsk tsk Lyra…tsk tsk…" Lyra bolted up as soon as his voice drifted into her ears, eyes scanning the dark in desperation. Her heart thudded against her chest.

"…Proton?" She did not jump as her bed creaked slightly with the weight of another body pressing down into it; she did not move at all in fact.

"Lay down, Lyra." She did not budge, still sitting up, completely still. She could smell his cologne despite the fact that he was sitting on the end of the bed; she would never forget that smell. He sighed. "Please, lay down Lyra." She was hit with a wave of surprise; biting her lip, she carefully laid back down on her side, facing the window once more. The bed creaked again as Proton moved to lie next to her, relishing in the warmth his skin was producing. She shuddered slightly as his bare hands rested on her stomach; he seemed to have abandoned his Team Rocket uniform for good.

"Why are you here?" she finally asked him, eyes glued to the windowsill. Behind her, she felt Proton sigh against her neck, burying his face into its crook.

"I don't know where else to go anymore. There's nothing left for me now," he said bluntly, voice muffled by her shoulder. "Five years I had been with Team Rocket...now that I'm without them I really don't know how to function."

"Why did you…you know…" She felt Proton shift behind her uncomfortably. He chuckled quietly.

"I don't know. I was pent up, angry with you. I wanted to cause you pain for all the frustration that you put me through…but it didn't work out that way." As he said this, he let out another bitter laugh. Gently, he moved his hand and ran his fingers through her loose hair; she closed her eyes, relishing in the gentle feeling he was producing. The guilt was gone from before; no longer did she feel so unclean and filthy…she just felt safe. She covered Proton's hand with her own, opening her eyes once more.

"Are you going to leave me again like last time?" she quietly asked, staring off into the darkness of the room. She didn't really know why she had even asked a question like that to a guy that had halfway sexually assaulted her months ago. Gently, he placed a kiss right on her temple, pulling her closer than ever before; this kind of affection from the Rocket simply floored her.

He didn't answer her question.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Ok now that I'm done with finals, I can finally update properly :) This goes for the rest of my fics as well. I know this one is short, but

Chapter 3

As unsurprised as she was that he was gone when she woke up, it still stung. However, she shrugged it off, instead getting dressed and heading to the Blackthorn City gym. Beating Claire had been a cinch…getting the badge, on the other hand, had not.

"What do you mean I have to earn it? I just beat you!" she spat with venom at the gym leader, her eyes blazing with fury at the tall, voluptuous trainer in front of her. Claire snobbishly held her nose high; her eyes fell to her poofy white hat and she merely sneered in disgust.

"You have not passed the Dragon's Den test. So, no badge!" She angrily balled her hands into fists, her long fingernails digging into her bare flesh but offering no comfort from her anger. She resisted the urge to just up and deck her, instead spinning on her heel without another word and stomping out of her elaborate gym. "All you need to do is locate the shrine!" ame Clair's half assed cheerful advice as Lyra angrily waved over her shoulder, slamming the double doors open with ferocity.

She was sure she gave the old man at the entrance a heart attack as she angrily stomped past him, teeth gritting, face to the ground.

"I can't believe this crap, that stupid old bitch!" she cussed as she kicked a nearby stone, watching with satisfaction as it slammed against the nearby wall. It wasn't often that she cursed, but it wasn't often that she got this angry as well. Perhaps she should've healed her Pokemon before she came in here…growling, she looked up and sighed miserably as her eyes fell upon the multiple passages and towering ceiling.

The place was huge and seemingly painful to navigate. Squinting her eyes, she could barely see the shrine in the distance. "Lovely," she muttered. Fingering the pokeballs on her belt, she started forward. She had her small Eevee left that she had refused to evolve; it would have to do for now. She headed towards the first rock face she would have to climb. Grunting, she hefted her foot up, placing it on the shaky interface. Hands trembling, she grasped upward, somehow managing to pull herself up. One step, then another. She kept a steady pace, trying not to look down at the now far away ground.

Lyra let out a small scream as the rock beneath her gave way, and she was left hanging. Gritting her teeth, she held on tightly, pulling herself back up. She made it to the top, lifting herself up and over. The trainer took a minute to catch her breath, panting at the sudden drop. The light of the lit torches flickered over her hands; it was unnerving, but the sound of the water helped calm her somewhat.

She got to her feet, brushing off her pants as she did so. That wasn't too bad, she thought tiredly. All she had to do was keep going across and then just make it back down again. She had no water Pokemon at the moment. Lapras had been left at the daycare for the time being, and Claire had specifically requested no flying Pokemon. Bitch. She had the choice of avoiding the whirlpools by going up and around, or chancing it by trying to swim them. Lyra had decided right when she had gotten in that she would try to swim it; she had no patience to try to figure out an alternate route for now and even then she wasn't sure if she could reach the shrine that way.

Sighing, Lyra started forward again. There was no more climbing upwards, thank goodness for that. She made it to the other side, coming up to the long drop that awaited her. Looking down, she knew there was no way to jump it. Lyra groaned, turning around and carefully lowering herself down. This time she did not slip, making it down with ease. She took another second to catch her breath once more, before turning and facing the water with a grimace. There were still whirlpools on this side, but they would be easier to avoid over here.

"Are you really going to try to swim that?" She jumped at the sound of a familiar voice. Spinning on her heel, she was surprised to see a familiar Rocket standing there, arms crossed. He was dressed nicely in a black button down and jeans; he looked bare without his old Rocket beret on his green hair. Fury lit up her face.

"Yeah I am, is that a problem? Why does it matter to you? You're the one who ran away," she sputtered out all at once. Glaring, Proton crossed the distance between then, instantly flicking out his knife and pressing it to her neck; she swallowed harshly, feeling that familiar blade against her flesh. She hadn't been expecting this reaction after last night; maybe letting down her guard around him had not been the best idea. He stared at her, eye slightly twitching. Maybe she had pissed him off more than she had thought…

"I'm still here, aren't I? Even then, I didn't have to come back. Shut your mouth," he said lowly, leaning in close to tickle her with his breath. He pulled the knife away, leaning back as he did so. "It'd be a dumb move Lyra. Don't you have a water Pokemon?"

She stuck her nose in the air and turned away from him; she sat down and started to carefully take off her shoes and stockings. She slipped off her backpack.

"Yeah, outside Goldenrod. I'll be fine, I'm a strong swimmer." That was a lie, but why did he even deserve the truth? He didn't give it to her, after all. Narrowing her eyes, she slid off her puffy white hat, tossing it to the ground. It didn't matter that he was here now; what did this mean for the future? Was he just going to up and vanish randomly? She mentally slapped herself. They weren't even in a relationship, why was she even thinking about that?

"Lyra, stop it." She ignored him, stretching her arms above her head to prepare for the long swim ahead. She sucked in a deep breath as she stared into the swirling waters. She'll admit it; this wasn't going to be the brightest thing she's ever done. Lyra tossed one look over to Proton, whose eyes widened; he started forward, and in she dove. "LY-" was all she heard before she plunged into the ice waters, skin prickling as the freezing liquid swept over her body. She let out a gasp as she surfaced, breathless and shaking from the temperature. Before she could even start forward, she was ripped away, struggling as the water started to overtake her. The whirlpools were closer than she had thought. Blackness engulfed her vision as she was dragged under, icy water filling her lungs.

She flailed desperately as she was spun and spun, chest aching for air. Her body was useless against the fury of the water. Of all the close calls she'd had…she was going to die to water. Perfect, she deliriously thought as her head started to become lightheaded. She had no clue where her location was at this point; the cave was huge from what she had seen in the center room, with multiple passages and ways to get lost.

Just as her consciousness was about to give way, she felt a tug, and someone's hand clamped down on her arm. Vaguely, she felt herself being dragged away, far away from the raging waters. Air broke through her lungs as her head broke the surface; her rescuer struggled to pull her and himself up to the landmass, and she was no in condition to help him. So tired. She was so tired, and cold, and afraid. So…tired…

Her consciousness slipped away as two arms pulled her close.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Final chapter guys! Sorry for the delay :D

She was nude.

That much she knew. She was also aware of another body pushing against her…another nude one. Lyra groaned as she slowly opened her eyes, her head pounding. Fire flickered before her; the stonewalls danced underneath the light. A blanket was tightly wrapped around her, impeding her movement, not that she wanted to move at the moment. A familiar cologne tickled her nose. Inwardly, she groaned. Of course he had been the one to save her…and now she owed him. Wait, if he saved her…then he was the one who was…

Lyra's face turned exceptionally crimson.

"Heh, you're so sexy when you blush." Lyra lowered her head, eyes wide. How did he even know... "Your body temperature just skyrocketed, and your heart is racing," he whispered in her ear, nose brushing her skin. There was her answer She swallowed harshly, feeling bare and exposed against a man who could easily overpower her.

"P-Proton…you saved me?" Leaning close, he pulled her tightly to his chest and settled himself back against the hard rock wall. He rested his chin atop her head, fingers gently running up and down her bare arm. She resisted the urge to squeal as she felt something very hard pushing against her lower back. Heat pooled between her legs, and she viciously pushed away any perverted thoughts that were trying to escape her brain as she felt his hard-on clearer than ever.

"Someone's gotta save your stupid ass," he muttered in an irritated tone, fingers now moving through her loose and slightly damp hair. She closed her eyes at the pleasant feeling, leaning into his soft touch. After what had happened in the Rocket Tower…she didn't even know why she was embarrassed anymore to be naked around the man.

"Thank you…" she whispered just loudly enough for him to hear, her voice exceptionally low. She felt him smile against her head.

"Can't believe I caught you. You had gotten pulled so far…and so fast. What happened to being a strong swimmer?"

"I may have stretched the truth a little."

"No kidding."

Silence broke between the two; the only noises were from the fire crackling and water rushing nearby. The blanket was hers; Proton must've grabbed her things on his way to chase after her. Her clothes and his lay nearby, draped over a rock close to the fire to dry. How he managed that, she had no idea; at this point, she didn't feel the need to question the ex-Rocket.

Sighing, she leaned further into his touch as his fingers ran through her damp strands. She felt a chuckle rumble against his chest.

"Proton," she muttered sleepily.

"Yes?"

"What are you doing for Christmas?" At this Proton stopped running his fingers through her hair. She opened her eyes, frowning in disappointment at the lack of movement on his part.

"Why ask that now? It's only the beginning of December…" She shrugged against him, pushing slightly against his still fingers. Automatically, he continued once more; she felt like slightly like a puppy dog but she didn't care. It just felt so nice.

"I don't want to be alone for Christmas," she muttered lowly, shutting her eyes. She spent every Christmas alone. When she was living at home, her mother would go off to visit her out of town boyfriend; as much as she begged and pleaded, Lyra always refused to go. She did not like him very much. When she was on the road, she was always traveling, so of course it was only her and her Pokemon. Ethan had invited her to hang out several times…but she didn't want to give him the wrong idea. Honestly, asking Proton may not have been the best idea either.

She felt him sigh against her neck, and brush his lips against her now warm skin. She shuddered.

"Go to sleep Lyra."

Not wanting to know what his answer would be, she forced herself into a deep slumber, letting silent tears slowly drip from her eyelashes.

Beating the Elite Four had been one of the toughest fights she had ever encountered. Seeing Lance at the end of that road had surprised her but that did little to stunt her courage. She had smashed him, finishing off his last Dragonite with a simple headbutt from her Houndoom.

Taking a sip of her hot cocoa, she eyed the red head across the table, scanning all of his features. Yes, he had asked her out on a date several days after the fight. Who was she to refuse? It was Christmas Eve; she had nothing else to do. He was a sweet guy though; for once, she actually found what he was saying interesting. Just as well, his eyes remained locked on her, not once moving to check out another woman. Big positive indeed.

"So you really don't want the Champion chair?" he asked once again, a deep frown setting into that handsome face. She nodded, chewing on a marshmallow. He sighed and took a sip of his whiskey. The nineteen year old had decided to give up the chair. Lyra didn't want to be rooted to one spot; she wanted to move on to Kanto and try the gym challenge there. She had explained this to Lance several times, but he kept asking. She guessed he just felt bad. Smiling, she set down her mug.

"It's ok Lance. I want to see more and I can't do it stuck in the Indigo Plateau all day. Though you seemed to have escaped quite a bit…" He laughed at her, leaning back in his chair and staring out the window; it was snowing heavily outside.

"Yeah…things got pretty boring there. They'd always call me back if there was a challenge. I would go back…most of the time," he winked at her, making her laugh in response. It was nice. There was a nice warm feeling in her chest. She wasn't alone. And yet…

It wasn't right.

Lance walked her to the Pokemon center at eleven thirty, leaving her with a kiss on the cheek and a smile that could make any girl swoon. Her smile faded as he left. It still didn't feel right. That's because he's not here, Lyra thought miserably to herself. She wasn't surprised, again. Proton keeping his word was something that rarely happened. After all, he was an ex-Rocket; he was pretty much bred to be unreliable. And yet…it hurt even worse this time. Maybe being in that cave had done something to her…made her too soft. She needed to stop thinking about him. Girls like that just ended up getting hurt.

And yet, as she stepped into the Pokemon Center and saw him waiting there on the bench, her heart skipped a beat. She couldn't stop herself; she ran straight into his arms, sobbing as they encircled her tightly. He held her close, gently shushing her as sobs wracked her body. She was tired of him leaving her. She was heartbroken. She needed to stop hugging him. She couldn't stop hugging him. She wanted this endless cycle to come to an end.

"I'm sorry I was late," he muttered into her hair, stroking it gently as she slowed her sobs. All she could do was nod; her voice would be broken if she spoke right then. After her sobs calmed completely, he got up; her heart raced, but stilled as he grabbed her hand. They walked outside and down the street; she clung to the green haired man the whole time, eyes to the ground. They didn't stop until they reached an apartment; only then did she notice how cold she actually was. She shivered; he pulled her closer to him as he unlocked the door.

As the door swung open, her eyes were instantly assaulted by bright, flashing lights. Looking up in shock, her chest warmed. The whole den was decorated in Christmas lights and decorations; in the corner of the room a grand Christmas tree stood, all decked out in classic ornaments. Above the fireplace were two stockings, one of which was her favorite color, a dark blue. She looked at Proton questioningly, whose face slightly reddened, surprisingly. Proton blushing was a rare occurrence.

"You didn't want to be alone for Christmas…so I decorated," he mumbled lowly, brushing past her to light the fireplace. She couldn't stop the grin from spreading on her face; it was so wide that her face started to ache. He stared at her in bewilderment when he turned around, before letting a small smile grace his lips. It was a beautiful thing. And when he swept her into her arms and pressed his soft lips to her, she melted. Breaking the kiss for air, she grabbed the side of his face, staring at him intensely.

"Are you going to be there in the morn-" Proton cut her off before she could even finish.

"Yes."


	5. Chapter 5

AN: OK FINE I'LL CONTINUE IT GEEEEEEZ

Lyra hummed quietly to herself as she trotted down the streets of Goldenrod, balancing two bags of groceries in her arms; her Chikorita, Ellie, stumbled after her, struggling to keep up with her bag of fruit. Smiling, Lyra bent down to take it from to make it easier; Ellie shoved her hand away, yelping at her.

"Ok, ok!" Lyra laughed, straightening up once more. They were almost home anyways. At this, a small smile crossed her lips. Who could've known that back when she first met Proton, she would've ended up living with him? She tried to shake her head to get rid of the dumb smile on her face, but it wouldn't budge. The grin continued to stretch as the twenty year old reached the steps of their small little house, gathering the bags in one hand to slip the keys into the keyhole.

"Hey! Come help me, you lazy lug!" she shouted as she stepped inside, tossing the keys onto the nearby table. Silence greeted her. Frowning, she set the bags onto the counter with a thud. Ellie dropped her bag onto the couch, twitching her leaf as she glanced around in curiosity. Lyra stepped past her, heading up the stairs to their bedroom. "Proton?" she called, worry starting to slightly overcome her. Still no answer. Ellie whined at her feet. Slowly, she opened the door, the wood creaking slightly from age.

Proton stood in their bedroom, back to her, shoulders twitching as her footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor. Her stomach dropped as she took him in, slowly. That uniform. He was wearing it again.

"Proton…why are you?"

"I've been called, Lyra."

"Excuse me?" He still did not face her, instead walking to the window and glancing out. He slid that familiar black beret on his head, placing a hand on the windowsill in silence. "Proton, what are you talking about?" She urged, stomach pooling into a nervous whirlwind.

"Team Rocket's forming up again. It's my duty to return." Lyra clenched her fists, shoulders bunching as she stared at the floor. Ellie backed away quietly, heading back downstairs, Lyra guessed. There was no sadness inside of her. No disappointment. Instead, her soul twirled and screamed with pure anger. Throwing her head up, she gritted her teeth, practically snarling.

"So you're going to just throw away everything, throw away us, to join back up with a criminal organization!?" Lyra screamed, her eyes sparking a nasty rage that she often hid deep down inside. Proton glanced over his shoulder, face blank with emotion; her skin crawled at his lack of expression. The man that she had fallen in love with was slowly reverting back to his original self.

"I don't want you hurt, Lyra. It would be better if…we just went out separate ways." No, she thought, chest aching. This wouldn't be it. Not after all of this. Tears burning her eyes, she fell to her knees, pain creeping up her shins that was nothing compared to the pain she was feeling inside. She vaguely heard Proton crossing the room; his legs bent down in front of her. As his hand touched her arm, she jerked it back, screaming.

"Just fucking leave!" she cried out, holding herself tightly, her chest burning more and more. She refused to look up; she didn't want to see that face. Without another word, Proton got to his feet, pausing for a second as if he was going to say something. He said nothing instead, stepping out of the door and down the stairs. With every step he took, she felt more and more heartache. It stung. As he shut that door, she vaguely wondered if her heart could even recover after this.

All she could do was cry.

The next morning she woke up, still on the floor. To her surprise, a pillow lay below her head, a blanket on her body; Ellie lay next to her, fast asleep. She groaned as she moved slightly, head pounding. Her eyes burned, her body ached. She felt as if she had got hit by a truck.

She wished that had happened instead.

Memories of the previous night washed over her; she felt the tears starting to rise again but pushed them away stubbornly. It was over. She should've realized that it would never work with him. He was a Rocket, after all; it didn't matter if he just changed clothes and got a normal job. It was a part of him that would never die.

Gently, she set aside Ellie who merely rolled over onto another part of the blanket. She jumped slightly as her Pokegear rang, quickly looking at her sleeping Pokemon. Ellie didn't budge; she was fast asleep. She wondered sadly how long Ellie had stayed up, hoping that the Pokemon had at least had a good night's sleep. Lyra snatched the discarded gear off the floor, eyebrows furrowing as she read the name on the display. Lance. Why on earth was he calling? Grudgingly, she answered the phone.

"Hello?" Lyra answered in the most normal tone she could muster, fussing with her tangled hair.

"Hey, you ok?" She stared at the gear in puzzlement, eyes widening. How did he know? "I woke up and there was a note on my desk…all it said was 'Take care of Lyra.' Any idea who left it?" She couldn't take it anymore, she started sobbing right there on the phone.

"Please just come over."

She watched as Lance stared at his coffee cup in silence, Ellie cuddling with him. Her Chikorita had always been a fan of the dragon tamer, and from the way he was petting her, it was clear he was as well. Lance suddenly sighed, making her look back up. She had cleaned up and showered, but there was nothing she could do to get rid of the anger and sadness on her face.

"Team Rocket coming back…Proton reverting…dammit," he muttered darkly, taking a large swig of his cup. She said nothing, avoiding his gaze. Proton had picked him. Proton had picked someone who cared for her deeply…didn't he know what that meant? "We need to find out where they're located, Lyra. I'm sorry, but we have to put aside Proton for now. Team Rocket coming back is bad news," he said sadly. Lyra choked back a sob, instead taking a big swig of her cocoa. She knew that would be his answer. She knew that by telling him everything, the Elite Four would take action. She knew Proton knew this as well, which is what confused her the most.

"I…I told him to leave. I told him to get out…" she whispered, her voice trembling as the words left her mouth. Lance's eyes saddened deeply; he suddenly set down his coffee cup and moved to her couch. Taking a seat, he wrapped his arms around her tightly. Lyra couldn't hold back her tears anymore; she started to tremble and shake as her body was wracked with sobs. Lance whispered words of comfort, gently stroking her hair. She knew he liked her. This wasn't fair to him. He shouldn't be this nice. Thousands of thoughts ran through her head, swirling like a massive tornado that would not settle. It was true she had liked him before as well, but now was not the time to think about that.

"You're going to make it through this Lyra. And I'm here for you. I always am." Don't say that, Lyra thought silently. Please just don't say that. You're just going to end up hurt. And yet she wouldn't let go of him. Wincing, she held back the urge to say anything back. She didn't want to rebound because she was so heartbroken…

They both jumped as Lance's phone went off, breaking the silence. Lyra pulled back, while Lance frowned, glancing down at the number. She thought she heard him mumble sorry as he got to his feet, going out the back door to answer his phone. Sighing, the brunette turned to Ellie, who was watching her with the saddest eyes any Pokemon could ever have. She gave her a half smile; Ellie rolled her eyes. Smart Pokemon.

Lance suddenly stepped back in, concern written all over his face. She looked him quizzically.

"What's the matter?" she managed to croak out, reddening slightly at the horrible way her voice sounded. Lance ran a nervous hand through his spike red hair, adjusting his white button down. She had finally noticed what the man was even wearing, and it was the most casual she had ever seen him: jeans, button down, and sneakers. It was bizarre, but he pulled it off well.

"Well…apparently the league just found out a while ago from an inside source. Unfortunately before we could get anymore information…our source was silenced." Lyra gasped, hands flying to her mouth. Murder. "Lyra, I want you to pack and come with me. I don't want you to get hurt." Before she could say anything, Lance held up a hand. "I don't need a damn order from someone to protect you. Pack up, and let's go."

"Lance…" He paused in the door way, glancing over his shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"What am I supposed to do…if I see him?" Lance sighed and shook his head, holding a hand to his forehead as if the stress had already started to rain down on him.

"I don't know. That's your choice."

It didn't take her long to pack. She didn't need a lot, just some clothes and some necessities. Eyes scanning over her room, her gaze dropped to a small silver necklace on the table. On it was a single garnet; Proton had said it had belonged to his older sister who had passed away. He never took it off…

Without a second thought, she grabbed the necklace, fastening it around her neck. The cool metal felt odd against her bare skin. She slid a white jacket over her v-cut shirt, hoping that and the jeans would be enough to keep her warm. Grabbing her bag, she slung it over her shoulder, heading downstairs with her head down.

"Lyra." She looked up, seeing Lance stare at her from the kitchen. "What about his stuff?"

"Leave it. If he needs it, it's here," she said flatly, moving past him and exiting the house before she gave away any sign of emotion to the master. The cold air snapped against her skin; she tried not to shudder. Ellie seemed to feel the same way, quickly hopping up and down at her feet with impatience. She let out a small smile, grabbing the Chikorita and sliding her inside her jacket.

"We'll both go on Dragonite. Just in case if we…come across anyone," he muttered the last part, flinging out his Pokeball and releasing the large dragon. She was too tired to argue with him, instead climbing on smoothly. Lance followed after her, sliding behind her. He wrapped his hands around her waist. "Hang on," was her only warning before Dragonite took off.

-  
Celadon City was a pretty city, but a little too girly for Lyra. Ellie seemed to love it, however. She was prancing around, smelling every flower she could that was lining the street. Lyra had opted out of the Pokemon League meeting. There seemed to be a slight grudge held against her from the four masters for beating them, though Lance bore no animosity. Because of that, she was happy enough just wandering the streets for the time being instead of being stuck in that tension filled room.

Feeling really thirsty, Lyra stopped as they started to pass a nice looking café. Smiling, she pushed the door open, bell tinkling as she entered. It was quaint and clean, with only around eight people in the entire café. Inhaling the scent of the bakery and coffee, she broke out into a bigger grin, practically skipping to the countertop. All she got was lemonade; she wasn't much of a coffee drinker. As she sat down with Ellie hopping on her lap, she couldn't help but overhear the two gentlemen next to her.

"…and Proton's back already." At this, her ears perked, heart beating against her chest wildly.

"Yeah I heard. Apparently, he was with some chick for a while, then bolted on her as soon as he heard the news."

"Doesn't surprise me; he's a cold bastard." Lyra couldn't help but silently agree. Suddenly, she was swept by a wave of realization. Duh, she mentally slapped herself. Team Rocket! As they started to get up from the table, Lyra kept her eyes low, staring at her lemonade in silence. As the bell tinkered, she nodded to Ellie who gave a small whine in reply.

"We'll be fine…we just need to see if we can get a lead, Ellie!"

Trailing the two was easier than she thought. Turns out they weren't the brightest bunch, fumbling out secret passwords and who slept with whom that week. She surmised that they were simply grunts, skipping out on the time clock to grab some coffee. The lack of intelligence of the two was simply baffling, with one not even knowing what an Oddish evolved into…if this was the future of Team Rocket, then the League wouldn't have much to worry about.

They rounded a corner, Lyra following close behind. They were on the West side of town now, heading towards an exiting route, it seemed. Lyra almost screamed as a hand clamped down on her shoulder. Heart racing, Lance's breath tickled her ears.

"If you're going to trail, don't go alone, Lyra," was all he said as he started past her, keeping his head low; his scarf blew in the window behind him. Still slightly startled, she shook her head, jogging a bit to fall into step with Lance. They continued on until they reached a cave; at this point, Lance and herself had ducked into a nearby bush, watching quietly as the Rockets looked around quickly. Satisfied that they were clear, they walked inside.

"You can't be serious…they're stationed in a cave?"

"It's going to be a lot more complicated than that, knowing Team Rocket," Lance grunted, clambering to his feet and making a dash for the entrance. Ellie stumbled after him, with Lyra clumsily following. She skidded to a halt inside, narrowly avoiding smashing into Lance.

"Hey, what's-"

"Gone. There's a way in." One room. That's all this cave was. Rock walls surrounded them, the dirt on the ground kicked up from her messy entrance. Carefully, she placed a hand on the wall, mimicking Lance on the opposite side. It felt smooth, no bumps, no secrets. But there had to be a way…Wait, she thought excitedly. The two had been talking about a "flashy" entrance…

"Ellie! Use Flash!" With a cry, Ellie obeyed, lighting up the entire room. Lyra squeezed her eyes shut, trying to avoid the bright light.

"Great thinking, Lyra!" Lance suddenly shouted, making her open her eyes. An elevator stood in front of them, in pristine condition and looking very much out of place. It had been camouflaged in the rock wall, with only Flash being capable of revealing its true nature. She inwardly groaned. Terrible fear of elevators. Probably wasn't the best thing to worry about right now. Lance obviously had none, fearlessly stepping inside as the elevator stopped on their floor. Biting her lip, she stepped inside, instinctively grabbing onto Lance as the machine shuddered; Lance looked down at her, giving her an amused glance. This was going to be a long day.


	6. Chapter 6

With every step they took, Lyra's heart was practically about to burst from her chest. The amount of Rockets present on the floor was making her knees tremble. To think that they were able to regroup so easily…it frightened her to think about how well equipped this group really was. She slowly stepped as Lance held a silent hand up, peering around the corner. Determined look on his face, he moved back again once more, turning to face Lyra.

"Meeting room down there. Now the question is, how do we eavesdrop?" She crossed her arms, staring down at her tennis shoes as potential plans poured through her mind. The door to the meeting room kept opening and shutting with grunt after grunt pouring into it. That meant it had to be an auditorium. So they needed to…

"Blend in," she finished aloud, a triumphant look on her face as she stared up at Lance. She could've sworn she saw his face turn slightly pink, but quickly pushed those thoughts away. Now was not the time. Lance nodded to her.

"There was a janitorial closet back down the hall, maybe there were some spare uniforms in there." Janitor uniforms were a much better idea. Proton would recognize her…and probably her body in an instant in one of those tight outfits. At least she would be in some overalls and a cap this time.

Lyra wrinkled her nose at the smell as she slid them over her bare legs. Lance let out a small laugh, causing her to roll her eyes at him dramatically. He was a sweet guy. So then why was she going out of way to try and get back the one who had betrayed her? Not even Lyra could answer that…and she was beginning to become tired of telling herself that it was ok. When it came down to it, she didn't give a crap about the mission…her heart just ached to see him, at least one last time. To ask him everything she wanted to ask, to tell him how much it hurt. She needed closure.

Lyra followed Lance carefully, but tried to keep the most nonchalant expression possible on her face. Dragging the broom behind her in the white hallway, she couldn't help but smile back when Lance looked over his shoulder to give her an encouraging smile. Stop it, she told herself harshly. He held open the meeting door for her, pulling down his cap as she did the same. Her hair was gathered underneath; she was trying to take every precaution she could so that he wouldn't recognize her.

They stayed in the back of the room, leaning against the wall as the Rockets filed in, taking their seats in the metal chairs lined up in the center. The four executives stood on the main stage, expressions emotionless, mouths shut tight. Automatically, she grabbed at her chest to try to still her heart as her eyes lay on Proton. Her stomach tied and twisted into knots as his familiar look of malice was laid neatly across his face. It was utterly depressing.

She almost jumped as Lance laid a hand on her shoulder; worry flashed across his eyes. All she could do was robotically nod at him; he removed his hand without another word. The grunts slowly started to settle and fill the room, and as the last one sat down, Archer took the stand. Dressed in his usual white uniform, the blue haired man hadn't aged a day, eyes still cold and unfeeling. Lyra often wondered if he wore the white to try to make himself stand out from the rest of the group, so that maybe they really would see him as their leader. His blue eyes darted across the room, thankfully passing Lance and Lyra without a single suspicion.

"This is quite a monumental moment," he finally spoke, his soft voice booming through the microphone. He gripped the sides of the podium, a smirk settling onto his chiseled face. "Finally, Team Rocket is making their return once more!" At this, the room broke into a loud whistles and applause; Lyra tightened her grip on the broom handle. It was hard enough to focus with Proton right there.

"As we regroup…let us keep one thought in our head." He paused, eyes scanning the crowd. Lyra could have sworn that he lingered on them for a moment, and had to calm her racing heart before she had a panic attack right there in the auditorium. Lance's face was unreadable; he was truly a pro at this. "Let us bear in mind…that I have had the honor of contacting our great Giovanni. Let us bear in mind that our great leader will eventually come back to us!" It took everything in her not to start screaming right there as the Rockets' noises became excruciatingly loud and obnoxious, some jumping out of their seats in joy.

"Fuck…fuck…" she heard Lance curse, making her head spin to her left. Sweat started to drip down the side of his forehead, gritting his teeth as he stared forward. "He's too dangerous to come back. Lyra, we can't let him," he whispered fearfully, wiping his forehead. She could only nod, eyes wide and fearful. She had heard a lot about Giovanni…mainly from Proton. About Mewtwo, about all of that. She knew what he was capable of; she knew why Lance was afraid. Archer continued.

"As you may have heard whispers in the hallway…we have recently had trouble with an old accomplice of ours. A collector of Pokemon, he was once a good friend of the Boss. However, he is now meddling in something that Team Rocket will not stand for!" Archer yelled, eyes suddenly filling with fury as he spat out that last sentence to his comrades.

"He wishes to break open things from the past that could lead to his wealth…but also the destruction of this world." Lyra and Lance exchanged looks of confusion. Team Rocket…worried about the world? "How could we become the sole power in a world that will be in ruins when he is done? The answer is simple: we cannot!" Archer boomed, the Rockets screaming and yelling in agreement as he slammed his fist down on the wood. "With Giovanni's help…we will take down this imbecile so we can finally begin our full fledged return!" At this point the noise in the room became so loud her ears started to ring; she winced.

"We need to get out of here now, Lyra," Lance suddenly whispered to her. She looked at him quickly, following his gaze to the two whispering Rockets who kept looking at them just a few feet away. Nodding quickly, she followed Lance as they slunk out the door, giving one last look to the Executive. For a moment she stopped, mouth opening slightly as her eyes connected with his cold green ones. Realization flashed; her eyes widened and she quickly shut the door, throwing down the broom and breaking into a sprint.  
e  
Lance quickly followed, shouting out directions as she turned and twisted down the white hallway. Shouts followed behind them, and soon footsteps joined.

"We're splitting up, left, right, left Lyra!" Lance suddenly shouted, pushing her to the left and standing rooted in his spot. She stumbled for a second, giving him a wild look of shock. He sent her a slightly angry one in return. "Go!" he commanded; shaking her head, she broke off into a run again. The footsteps soon faded away, and all she could hear were her own. He distracted them…he could be hurt, she thought despairingly. Her feet started to slow, but then his angry voice rang in her head. Don't stop, she kept telling herself, chest burning as she took her first left.

He'll be ok. He'll be ok, Lyra. Squeezing her eyes shut to remove a few tears, she turned right again. The hallways all looked the same; thank god he had given her directions. Her next turn was merely a few feet away…but she skidded to a halt as her pathway was blocked. Eyes wide, she stared up into deep green eyes that bore no emotion, the color draining from her face.

"Proton…" she whispered quietly, tears flooding her eyes. Without a word Proton grabbed her arm; she did not struggle, quietly following behind him as he tugged her towards a door. Proton slid his key card in, the system beeping quietly as it accepted his ID and opened. He pushed opened the door, pulling Lyra in with him. With a click, it locked once more, leaving them stranded in a simple office. She couldn't look up at him; she looked anywhere besides those beautiful eyes. There were so many things she had wanted to say to him, so much anger…but it had all melted away the second she saw him. Looking up, she finally brought enough courage to start speaking, "Proton, I-"

"Why are you here? You're going to get yourself killed!" he spat out venomously, throwing his arm out as he glared down at her. She was stunned, not sure at all what to say. She had been partially expecting it, but was hoping it wouldn't come down to it.

"Look, I needed to see you!"

"Didn't we decide it was over? It's over Lyra, get out of here," he snarled, turning away from her to lean over the desk nearby. He said nothing more, hands clenching the sides of the wood. No, she wasn't going to let it happen again. Hands trembling, she walked up to the tense man. Carefully, she reached out, almost recoiling when he flinched at her touch. Closing her eyes, she gently started to wrap her arms around him, Proton stiffening as she did so. Laying her head on his back, she pushed back any remaining tears, inhaling his familiar cologne. Proton slowly relaxed, letting out a deep sigh.

"I can't let you go," she whispered so quietly she wasn't sure if the man had even heard it. "I tried. I was angry. I was hurt. And I was going to tell you how pissed off and how much I hated you if I saw you. But it turns out I can't. It turns out I suck at this whole breakup thing," she mumbled into his shirt, feeling nothing but relief as the words finally escaped her lips.

To her surprise, Proton turned, suddenly sweeping her into his arms in a hug that felt so warm and loving that Lyra could have melted right then and there. Crying, she held tight to him, burying her face in his neck. Suddenly, that warmth was ripped away as the door beeped and Proton let her go.

"Well, well, looks like you caught a rat, Proton," the purple haired intruder slurred in a sleazy tone, eyes roaming up and down Lyra as he entered the room. If she was right, his name was Petrel. She had battled him a few times back during her journey, wiping the floor with him every time. His eyes locked with Proton's. "I can take her off your hands if you want; I'm quite talented at interrogating the ladies," he sneered, licking his lips as he stared at Lyra again.

Proton was quick to place a false smirk on his face, brushing back a strand of his bright green hair.

"I got it under control Petrel, this rat will be mine." At this Petrel gave him a disgusted look, moving towards Lyra with a confident stride. He suddenly grabbed her arm harshly; Proton visibly flinched.

"Psh, you always get the fun ones. Let me have this one," he whispered towards her ear. She tried to push him away, feeling disgust crawl in her belly. His grip was iron like; his body image betrayed his real strength. One thing was for sure…Proton was getting pissed. She knew that look. Blank face, slight twitch of his body. He was livid. This wouldn't end well. "Or could it be…that this was that rat that was rumored to be living with you the past few years?" Lyra held in her gasp, fear filling her eyes as her gaze connected with Proton's. Fuck, was all she wanted to say.

"Why does that matter to you, Petrel?" Proton stated blankly, pure rage filling his eyes but a mask on his face. His hand was behind his back; she knew he was fingering that knife he always carried with him.

"Prove your loyalty and let me…go entertain her. I will get plenty of information as to why she's here, trust me," he winked, reminding her of a greasy old man; her skin crawled as he ran a hand down the side of her face.

"Guess I must not be very loyal then," was all she heard before Petrel was knocked to the floor, Proton soon following behind him. Lyra fell down as well, landing harshly on her behind. He was literally beating the shit out of him; blood was starting to gush from his swollen and clearly broken nose. Lyra got to her feet as she saw a flash of silver, grabbing Proton's fist that held the small blade in the air. He quickly looked over his shoulder, eyes flaring; they slowly settled as he stared into her eyes. Wiping his fist on Petrel's uniform, he got to his feet, giving the unconscious man a good kick as he did so. He put the knife away.

Proton took off his cap, running a hand through his hair and sighing. Lyra stood awkwardly, not really sure exactly what she should do at this point. She was pretty sure that Lance was panicking outside, and was really hoping he wouldn't try to come back in. Proton finally looked up at her, eyes much softer than they had been before. It was a nice liberation.

"Two days from now. Nine p.m. Lake of Rage. I will tell you everything you need. For now, please come with me so I can get you out of here." There was no way she could resist the pleading in his eyes; with a sigh, she nodded to him, taking a hold of the hand he held out to her. As her bare skin touched that glove, that familiar spark shot through her body and she knew that neither of them could keep saying goodbye.


	7. Author's note

Hey guys! I'm really sorry I've been so slow with updating. It's my last semester of university and I have so much to do I barely have time to breathe! Don't you worry though: if any of you are still waiting for the next chapter, I will have it up by Friday! 3 you all


	8. Chapter 8

AN: WELL, sorry a little bit later than I had said XD Things are terrible right now, school wise. I'm trying to update as fast as possible but I know it's kinda slow. Sorry!

Things had ended quite awkwardly in Celadon. After leading her out, Proton vanished and she was left with the panicking Lance. After attempting to explain to him for ten minutes that she was just fine, she finally gave up. The news was passed to the league about their discoveries, including the mysterious 'collector' that was supposedly a threat to the entire world.

It was hard enough to convince Lance to let her go back to Johto. She spent what felt like an eternity convincing him, finally 'admitting' that all she wanted to see was her mom. After a quick phone call to the woman herself to explain the cover and that she needed to check on an old friend, she was off. She was becoming better and better at lying; it was starting to disgust her.

The cold night air whipped against her hair as she sat on the edge of the small cliff over looking the lake. Stars twinkled like fireflies in the night sky; a small smile formed on her lips as she let one land on one of her fingers. Truly, this was one of the most beautiful places in Johto; people really did take it for granted.

"Are you ever late, Lyra?" She struggled to control her excitement, instead hiding it behind a blank face. She let the firefly escape, watching it disappear into the night sky. Sometimes, she wished she could just do the same.

"Only when I have to deal with the League," she muttered with annoyance, fiddling with a sprig of grass. Proton chuckled, plopping down next to her ungracefully. He was still in his uniform; it made her sick enough to where she had to turn away. Proton noticed, frowning deeply.

"So…everything Archer said was true. We've got a huge problem on our hands and that's the main reason we were called back together." She said nothing, slowly plucking out each sprig of grass around her legs. Her palms were sweaty. She couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with the young man. "Lyra…" Her name on his tongue brought familiar chills down her spine.

"Are you going to stay with them after all of this is over?" she whispered, barely intelligible to human ears. She regretted asking immediately. Proton seemed to know this question was coming; he looked off to the side wordlessly. She swallowed roughly.

"I don't know," he admitted lowly, beret shading his gorgeous green eyes from her view. She figured that answer was coming as well. Lyra jumped as her Pokegear suddenly started to vibrate. Glancing down, she frowned as Lance's name popped up on the pink screen. He could wait. "Should you get that?" Proton asked quietly, a sense of hesitance in his voice that sounded foreign. Lyra shook her head, even as it continued to ring.

"What is your plan to stop this collector?" she asked, deftly changing the topic as she tossed her gear to the side. Proton held a hand to his face as if he had a headache, letting out a deep sigh.

"I really shouldn't tell you…but I guess it doesn't really matter anymore." Goosebumps crept up her arms as he tossed the hat aside, revealing his handsome face to her once more. She could barely restrain herself from jumping back into his arms. "Lawrence III, if you want to look him up on some of the Elite Four's files. Not sure what they have on him, but he has to at least be on their radar. He's not exactly a…quiet collector sometimes." Lyra nodded as mentally took a note. "He was an old friend of the Boss's, at least until they got into an argument over something stupid one day. From what I've heard, at least."

"And now he's in danger of…uh destroying the world?" she guessed, feeling silly and unaware of anything that was even happening. Proton nodded, laying back onto the grass with another deep sigh.

"Someone's been messing with the Ruins of Alph. Specifically the rooms with the stories of the shadow Pokemon."

"Shadow Pokemon?"

"According to this legend shit, there was a stone back in ancient times that had the power to compel any Pokemon into a much more powerful shadow form that you could control. Downside to this is that stone would eventually compel you, and then…well bad shit would happen."

"Eloquent."

"I try," he winked at her, and for a second, the two of them had forgotten anything that had happened. It was a moment Lyra would never forget; she stared into his eyes and he stared back, the water gently moving against the shore behind them. "Kiss me," he whispered huskily, leaning into to gently grasp her face.

"I can't."

"I want to leave this night with a good feeling. Just…kiss me Lyra." He didn't even give her a chance, forcefully pushing his lips against her like that first time he had kissed her in the Radio Tower. Only this time, an extra feeling of love was thrown into the equation. She still felt it; he obviously felt it as well. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled closer to him, obediently opening her lips as his tongue pushed past them with ease. For one moment, no one was on a side; it was only the two of them. Fire lit in her belly as he ran a hand up her thigh, slowly stroking her smooth skin. As they broke for air, Proton leaned in, panting.

"Lyra, don't get involved in this. Tell the Elite Four to shove it, leave. Go home." Before he could even get another breath in, she pulled him close, smashing her lips against his. It didn't matter anymore. They both knew that at this point she wouldn't back down. Proton pulled away again, making Lyra growl slightly under her breath. No more talking, she didn't want to hear it. She wanted force; she wanted it to be rough. She didn't need a conversation. But he continued on anyways.

"I have to go. There is stuff I need to take care of," he said quietly, holding firmly onto her arms.

"Then go, I'll be fine. I can be on my own. I don't need anyone." Proton's face fell; hurt flashed across his face. She immediately regretted her cold words. He sucked in a deep breath and pulled her close, gently kissing the top of her head. And with that, he pulled away, dashing off. She didn't chase him. What was the point? He would just run again. She was used to it at this point. "No tears," she strained, holding her arms tightly. "Don't you cry again."

Her body somehow obeyed.

A few days later, she found herself sitting at a large meeting table with the Elite Four and Lance, as well as…Team Rocket. Well, only two of the executives and a few higher grunts. At least Petrel wasn't there; she wondered what the relationship between him and Proton was like now. Proton himself wouldn't stop staring at her from across the table; Lance picked up on it quickly, a slight spark of irritation creeping onto his face. Archer's voice was drowned in her thoughts; out of the corner of her eye she saw Will staring at her intently and she shuddered. She really hoped he couldn't read minds; she wouldn't have the nicest things in there about them. She jumped as she felt a hand rest on her thigh. Eyes wide, she turned quickly to Lance.

Concern was written all over his face. He didn't have to say anything; she knew what he was wondering. Shaking her head, she got to her feet, causing all eyes in the room to land on her.

"I need some air," she muttered, reddening as she quickly escaped through the door. She could feel his intense stare as she left burning into her back. Not surprisingly, Lance followed soon after.

"Lyra…if it's too hard for you…"

"It's fine," she coldly interrupted, eyes glued to the wall as she leaned against it, sliding down to the cold tile. She jumped as Lance suddenly grabbed her shoulders, bending down and staring fiercely into her eyes.

"You're not ok. You're not fucking ok. Stop saying you're ok!" he snarled, ferocity in his eyes. She didn't know how to respond; Lance almost never lost his temper. "And you don't have to be in there. I don't know why you would even put yourself through that. Don't you care about yourself? Sometimes I think I care about you more than…" He trailed off. Lyra turned away. They both knew he didn't need to finish that statement.

"You're right, I'm not. But as much as I dislike almost everyone in that room, -I- am a member of the Pokemon League now and it is -my- job to suck it up and be responsible." For a moment, she thought she saw a flash of pride across Lance's face, a flash that made her feel a little bit better. He said nothing; he nodded at her and opened the door back up. She sucked up a deep breath and marched inside, head held high. All eyes were on her; all she cared about was avoiding those deep green eyes.

Archer cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Like I was saying, we have three locations marked where Lawrence had mansions built. The problem is…one, he may not even be in any of those. Two, trying to figure out which one he's in before he moves again." Karen smoothly interjected, her cold voice chilling in the bright room.

"Why would he not be in a home? Where would he sleep?" Archer shot a look too her, one that was none too friendly but still covered with professionalism; Karen sneered back.

"I was about to get to that. Lawrence owns a very large airship that he uses to track down legendaries. He spends a majority of his time there…but he could be anywhere. Plus, he is a man notorious for being masterful at hiding." Karen looked visibly annoyed, but said nothing else. Lyra was surprised anyone could get her to be silent.

"Then we split up." Lyra was surprised at the sound of her own voice. Her breath hitched in her throat as all eyes landed on her, Proton's eyebrow rising slightly. She cleared her throat nervously, playing with the glass of water in front of her. "If we uh…split up, then we have a better chance of finding him."

"So how do you propose we do this?"

"Well...um…four groups. Three take the mansions, the fourth covers the skies. You said he'd be in Johto, right? Then we shouldn't have a problem with trainers like us. We can catch him," she finished, her voice becoming stronger as she looked up, staring into the eyes of the table. Proton and Archer exchanged glances, as did the Elite Four members. Lance's eyes remained on Lyra, practically beaming; she tried not to blush at the attention, silently wishing she had said nothing.

"And how were you planning on splitting up the groups?" Lyra jumped, chills running up her spine as Proton's smooth voice broke the silence. She slowly looked his way, noting that he was forcefully pushing back a smirk. What the hell was so funny to him?! Irritation crept into her voice; she was pretty sure the whole room could tell.

"Ground doesn't matter. I wouldn't use helicopters for the sky; would be too obvious. We would be better off with flying Pokemon," she muttered, gripping the glass tightly. "Lance would be a good option just because of his Dragonite. I've got my Pidgeot…"

"And I've got a Charizard." She tried not to let her jaw drop too much; instead she pursed her lips and tried to regain her composure.

"P-Pardon?"

"I said I've got a Charizard. Doesn't that fit the requirements?" Archer stared at Proton like he had a second head; Lance was about to explode next to her. Lyra had no idea what to say, or how to respond. If possible, Lyra was just put into the most awkward and uncomfortable situation of her life. As the rest of the occupants discussed different groups, all she could do was stare in shock at the table, trying to figure out how this was even going to work. She felt like they were going in circles. One moment they were grabbing for one another, holding each other close, the next they were enemies, hating one another with every bone in their bodies.

It was making her dizzy.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Thanks for the reviews and the favorites guys! keeps me going :)

Lyra let out a cry as a cold, harsh wind blew through her hair, ripping it from the bands she had so carefully prepared this morning. Cringing, she ducked her head down, trying to suppress a shiver as it started to ripple through her; Ace cooed at her, trying desperately to soothe her freezing trainer. The weather had quickly gone from beautiful to horrifying, as a thunderstorm neared the three on the horizon. Thunder boomed around her head; while the rain had not started to pour down, she was certain it would come any minute now.

"You ok?" Proton shouted from her left, swinging down on his Charizard like some kind of knight in shining armor to her side. Lyra snorted under her breath, avoiding his concerned gaze.

"I'm fine!" she yelled back, her soft voice almost drowning in the booming winds. Without even staring at him, she knew he would be frowning in disappointment at her obvious lie.

"We need to land, this is too much right now!" bellowed Lance as he flew over on his Dragonite, cringing as the air about him started to crackle from the static electricity. Shockingly, Proton nodded in agreement. Lyra did not.

"Are you kidding me? We just got here!" she protested loudly to the two men, holding down her hair as it whipped angrily across her face. Lance stared at her flabbergasted; if his jaw wasn't hinged to his face she was sure it would have fallen at this point. But they couldn't give up yet. The quicker she did this, the quicker she could split from Proton and not have to deal with these conflicted emotions anymore.

With a swift pat on the head, Lyra nudged Ace to fly forward. Behind her, the sounds of the two men shouting in protest were hardly audible as she flew away. Ugh, it's just a little rain, she thought, her irritation sparking. As she flew further and further away…recognition slapped her in the face as she caught wind of a few of their words. They weren't yelling at her to come back; they were warning her…

"Shit!" Lyra screamed as a yellow, crackling sphere three times her size whizzed past her. Looking over her shoulder, her eyes widened as she watched it do a three sixty, heading back in her direction with a ferocity that was truly frightening. "Dodge!" Lyra bellowed, clinging to Ace bounded to the side, squawking loudly. It flew by her once again, barely grazing her arm; her hair raised as the electricity surrounding it sparked. "What…what is that?!" Her question remained unanswered as it started to head for her once more, seemingly faster than before.

"Flamethrower!" Charizard roared to life, spewing flames behind her that sizzled above her head; they smashed right into the sphere, causing smoke to erupt around them. For a second, the sphere was engulfed in fire; she held her breath Proton flew to her side, a strike of fear crossing his eyes when the flame died out.

As the smoke cleared, two spheres came barreling out, twice as fast as the first one charged towards her; she screamed, ducking as they hummed over her head in an angry tangent that was out to kill.

"Hyperbeam!" Lance commanded, his voice loud and stern over the raging winds. The spheres easily dodged it; seemingly angry, they spun around and started to charge towards the stationary Lance. Lyra felt chills run up her spine.

"RUN!" she screamed in desperation to the dragon master, fear creeping into her heart as they got closer and closer to the shocked man. They're too fast; they're going to hit him! Move move move! "Agility!" Lyra bellowed, holding on tightly as Ace let out a battle cry, taking off faster than lightning towards the two spheres.

"Don't, Lyra!" She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath.

"Goodbye Proton," she whispered softly.

They hit the spheres and her world ignited.

* * *

Her hands were tingling. In fact, her whole body felt like it was lying on a vibrating bed. She didn't like it. Why wouldn't it stop? She wanted to open her eyes, but her eyelids were too heavy. They didn't want to budge. Her body just didn't want to cooperate. What had happened?

Maybe Proton had convinced her to drink again. Things always ended poorly then. She probably had had too much to drink, is all. Still didn't work to get him any booty; sometimes she thought he did it just to laugh at her. She was a lightweight. So what? She'd get him back one of those days.

But…that's wrong. She's not at home. She's not with him. Proton left. He joined Team Rocket. She was in the sky. She tried to save Lance….

Oh yeah, those weird spheres. What on earth were they, anyways? Was she dead now? Did they explode and kill her? But she couldn't have died yet. There was so much she needed to do. So much she needed to say…

"….hear me?"

What…who was that?

"….Lyra!"

That's…

"P-Proton," she croaked, wincing as she opened her eyes, the world blurry before her. Soon enough she realized exactly why she was tingling; the sphere that had once chased her was now sealing her in a makeshift prison. Her vision started to clear; she was lying on the floor, surrounded by the buzzing electricity. Across the room were two more spheres, one contained an unconscious Lance and the other a relieved Proton.

"Y-You're alive…" She could barely hear him as he slid down to the floor, relief flooding his face. Gingerly, she started to reach out to the electric bars. "Don't; it's real electricity!" he warned quickly; she obeyed and retracted her hand, head still slightly buzzing. Staring through the bars and at the Rocket, an immense sense of wanting started to fill her chest; she brushed it away and attributed it to her just being scared shitless and wanting comfort.

"What happened to us?" she asked, finally managing to formulate a correct sentence. Proton shook his head, pulling his cap off to run his hands through his hair, a habit he did often when he was conflicted.

"That sphere grabbed you and pulled you in; I managed to recall Ace fast enough but then the other sphere split in two. Grabbed all three of us. I woke up and noticed all our Pokeballs were missing." At this Proton sighed, glancing around the room. Lyra followed his gaze, eyes widening as she took in the elaborate decoration and art adorning the large foyer they were in. Behind them stood countless large windows the size of the wall; the clouds were rushing past them…

"We're…still in the air?"

"I think we're on Lawrence's airship."

"Shit," she cursed under her breath, gritting her teeth. Well, at least they knew where he was now. Too bad they weren't exactly in the most prime…ambushing position. Shaking her head, she started to get to her feet; her body was suddenly overcome with an immense wave of red hot pain. Letting out a pathetic cry, she fell back down to her knees, shaking as her body tried to recover.

"Babe-I mean, are you ok Lyra?!" Proton stumbled over his words, desperately moving as close as he could to his dangerous prison. Tears slipped from her eyes, but she nodded, cringing as she held onto her body gingerly. It felt like it was on fire. Looking down, she could see numerous burns adorning her body. No wonder the pain was so immense. "You got a nasty shock when you ran right into those. Take it easy for now," he warned her sternly, eyes solely focused on her but still giving off that familiar sense of warmness.

"It hurts and…I'm scared," she whispered, more tears streaming from her blue eyes. The sobs soon followed, every shake making her body scream in agony. She didn't care how childish she looked. She just wanted him. She wanted him back. She wanted their normal life back. They should be getting married at this point, not kidnapped in a psycho's airship, hurt and trapped. Things shouldn't be like this. They should've never come to this and it was both of their faults.

"I'm here for you. I always am," he whispered to her, barely audible over the obnoxious buzzing. Eyes wide, she stared up at him; a small smile graced his lips, an honest one.

"Proton…"

"Fuck…I feel like I got hit by a bus," came a mutter to Proton's left. Lyra breathed a sigh of relief as Lance got to his feet. He met eyes with Lyra and a giant smile exploded on his face. "Oh thank god you're alive!" An angry look soon followed, however. "You shouldn't have done that! But I mean thanks…but you still shouldn't-"

"Ok we get it Mr. Tamer. But right now we should be worrying about how to get out of here," Proton butted in, eyebrow raised as Lance shut his mouth to end his rambling.

"But why, pray tell, would you want to leave a beautiful place such as this?" All three heads shot back to the entrance of the foyer as a figure stepped into the light. A smirk was set deep into his expression, light blue eyes betraying a more sinister underlying personality. Lyra gingerly got to her feet as the light brunette started to walk towards her sphere, his light blue coat swishing as he approached. Out of her peripheral vision she could see Proton and Lance tense. Suddenly, pain sparked across her body; she collapsed back onto her knees with a cry. She might as well not even bother trying to get up at this point.

"Lyra!" Lance yelled. The dragon master tried to grab onto the bar, but let out a yelp as it shocked his hand. Gritting his teeth, he glared at the stranger as he approached Lyra. The man let out a small 'hm.' With a snap of his fingers, her sphere suddenly evaporated, leaving her exposed.

"You appear to be in need of some medical attention," he started, bending down to her level. "Some serious burns that need to be taken care of, it seems." She flinched as his hand reached out towards her.

"Don't you fucking touch her, collector," spat Proton, venom dripping from his words. Lawrence turned to him, a small smile creeping back onto his face.

"And what will you do from behind those bars, Rocket?" he taunted, eyes sparkling with excitement as Proton's anger grew. The room started to spin. Lyra groaned, falling slightly forward; unsurprisingly, the collector caught her swiftly; her pain was so immense her body started to numb.

"Fuck, Lyra! Don't pass out!" bellowed Proton, panic spilling into his voice.

"Can you patch her up?" Lance suddenly spoke up, voice slightly unsure. Their voices were starting to become jumbled and unclear to her. Why wouldn't they speak up better?

"The fuck are you talking about, Lance!? We can't trust him!"

"And what other choice do we have?!" She could barely hear them now. Proton's curses were becoming nothing but whispers. The last thing she was Lawrence staring down into her eyes.

"Sleep now…"


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Ty for the favorites and reviews! Enjoy!

"I'm guessing you know what happens when you use this shadow stone, right?" Lyra finally mumbled, breaking the awkward silence that had transpired in the room. Lawrence merely smiled above her, sending chills down her spine. Carefully, he pressed a cold cloth to one of the larger burns, making her hiss slightly as her warm skin came in contact with the near freezing temperature.

"Perhaps it only happens to those who are weak of mind." Or maybe it just happens to everyone, she wanted to say. She held her tongue, however. He was in control, not her. While she was sleeping he had apparently...cleaned the wounds below her clothing and dressed her in a large dress shirt. She felt filthy. And yet, there was nothing she could do about it. All she could do was hope and pray that Proton was coming up with a plan.

"So why are you helping me?" She finally asked, trying to change the subject. If she could keep him talking…maybe it would give them more time.

"Why not? I am human, after all." Lyra's thoughts came to a halt. He was. He was human just like her and he was willing to risk it all in order to contaminate whatever Pokemon he wanted to…even if it meant at the cost of his own life. "I am a collector, miss. And those legendaries…they're very hard to capture. Very elusive. If I can control them with just one stone…they can be in my collection forever. But as they say…you must have light and dark to be complete."

"Huh?"

"It's nothing." She shook her head, still in disbelief at what she was hearing. She gripped the sides of the counter tightly as she watched Lawrence move deftly about her, hands moving in a practiced way.

"But we don't even know how these shadow possessed Pokemon will act! What if they turn on you? What if they turn on the world?" Lawrence curled his lips upwards into a chilly smile.

"I suppose that is something we shall find out, no?" A sense of dread washed over her as he turned his back to her, fiddling with something on the table. Swallowing deeply, she watched him as he turned back to her, his arms full of more bandages. Man, if only Lance could see them now. It would be hard to believe that this man was the one who was in danger of destroying the planet. He acted perfectly normal…why would he want to risk everything?

"We are approaching the Ruins of Alph," a robotic voice beeped over the intercom. Lawrence frowned.

"Already, hm?" Humming to himself, he carefully wrapped the last bandage around her arm; she felt like a mummy but at least she was receiving some kind of medical attention. Seemingly satisfied with his work, Lawrence spun on his heel, heading towards the large console in front of them. They were in the front of the ship; looking out, she could see the bright blue sky in front of them. It teased her. She contemplated breaking the glass and jumping, but quickly brushed those idiotic thoughts away.

"….What are you going to do with us?" She was surprised she even managed to come up with a coherent question; her head was spinning so fast and her body ached. Lawrence paused, hand raised above his keypad. He chuckled.

"I promise you, you are not involved in my…so called evil plan. You merely came along at a bad time, that is all."

"Will you let them go?" She spoke quickly, her voice soft and quiet as she avoided all eye contact. She was forced to stare into those light blue eyes when he raised her chin gently, slowly. She swallowed harshly as a small smirk crept onto his lips.

"I know about the joint group the Pokemon League and Team Rocket have formed. But what I really want to know is, in the end, who will you go back to?" Lyra blinked, confusion spreading on her face as Lawrence watched her expression with great interest.

"What…what do you mean go back to?"

"Do you love the Rocket or your old life more, Champion? Two men, both leading down two different paths. It's obvious how you feel about both…but what will you pick?" Lyra ripped her face away from his grasp, squeezing her eyes shut and turning her body away. How did he know any of this? What the hell was going on?

"I take time to research my enemies. I have a vast network computer…it's not hard to pull up old Team Rocket records. The executive Proton…he had had quite a few encounters with you in the past. In fact, it seems he quit for a year after you became Champion, Lyra. And from the way he responded when I only approached you…" He chuckled.

"Why does that even matter to you?"

"It does not. I just like being right about things. I like solving puzzles, I like collecting…it is in my nature, my dear." He spoke quickly, almost excitedly. He was grinning widely now, his pearly whites almost blinding. "As for what I am going to do with the other two…I am not quite sure yet. You, however, will be accompanying me down to the Ruins." He extended a hand to her, still smiling. Shudders went down her spine. She pushed his hand away, getting to her feet with a noticeable wince that she tried to hide. Her feet her cold on the tile; she saw her sneakers off to the side and desperately wanted to grab them.

"You don't need me. Why do you want me to go?" she hissed, the pain starting to catch up with her as her stiff body started to move once again. Lawrence blinked, the smile vanishing off his face; he looked taken aback for just a second. Soon enough, that smile returned, his eyes practically twinkling.

"I like company. I like others to witness my accomplishments…it's almost like a sort of high," he said giddily, crossing his arms and giving a slight wink to the young woman. "And Lyra?"

"…Yeah?"

"Don't try to refuse. Or I may have to kill them." Lyra stared in shock as Lawrence pivoted on his heels, breaking into a brisk walk down the hallway. All she could do was hang her head, grab her shoes, and follow; pain accompanied every step she took.

"We're landing," Lance suddenly spoke, rousing Proton from his thoughts. He glanced out the window, sighing as he did so. They had made it to the Ruins, Lyra was in the hands of a madman, and he was stuck with the goody two shoes Champion. Could things get any worse?

"Well…what the hell do we do now?" Proton asked bluntly. He didn't hate Lance, no. He's the one that he had trusted to take care of Lyra. But the thing is, Proton was here now…and he wasn't sure if Lance was ready to give up his job. Lance shook his head.

"I'm not sure. We had some researchers look into the stone…in order to even get it working, you have to perform some ritual at the Ruins. If we can somehow stop him before that…"

"Yeah, and the hell do you expect us to do that?"

"Look, I don't need you to be an ass right now," Lance suddenly snapped back, pointing accusingly at the Rocket; Proton was taken aback, but quickly regained his composure. "I'm just as worried about Lyra as you. All we can do…is hope he doesn't want to do her any harm."

"He's insane, Lance. Lyra isn't safe until she's back here, with me," he made sure to emphasize that last word, earning a dirty look from the Dragon Tamer.

"You're still not on the right side. I won't let her go to you when you're still with them."

"Yeah, well that's her choice," Proton muttered darkly, staring out at the window as they slowly drifted to the ground. He wanted her back, yeah…but was it even the best thing for her at this point? With a growl, he punched the floor.

They needed a plan…and quickly.

"They're too dangerous," she whispered shakily, holding onto the wall for support. Lawrence had been going ninety to nothing, eyes sparkling as he examined each hieroglyph. In his hands he held a dark, glowing stone; tendrils of shadows twisted and turned around it, a sickening presence filling the room. He had been at it for at least an hour now, trying desperately to find the right glyph.

Standing in that room, all she could think of was Proton. It made her feel even worse, knowing Lance was up there and all she could care about was the man who broke her heart. She was at that breaking point though. And she…she needed him. She needed Proton; he needed her. His face flashed through her mind and her stomach fluttered.

She had to stop this guy…she had to make the world a safe place for them. Determination filled her eyes; Lawrence's face lit up as it appeared he had found the right spot. As he started to reach towards the panel, Lyra sucked in a deep breath; what the hell was she supposed to do now? Was she seriously considering letting him use this power to do who knows what all for the sake of a man?

Lawrence suddenly let out a sound of joy, causing Lyra to turn to face him. Hands fiddling with the wall, the panel suddenly slid, revealing a bright, pulsing white gem that he gleefully took into his hands. With a sick, twisted smile, he brushed past her, moving towards the altar on the other side of the room.

"Please…don't…" she begged, head spinning as her body yelped and screamed at her to stop moving. She whimpered, tears of pain filling in her eyes. Lawrence ignored her, placing the two stones on the old, ancient altar. They hummed in resonance, almost as if they were singing to one another.

"This is it Lyra…this is it," he whispered, hands hovering over the two stones. You must have light to have dark…his words echoed in her mind and her eyes widened. The team had no idea…there were two stones, two keys. He can't use one without the other!

"I call upon thee, oh great ancients. Bestow upon me your power; allow me to be your master…"

"No…don't!"

"In the name of the ancients, I claim my place as your leader!" his voice boomed, and all of a sudden, the ruins started to shake and tremble. Eyes wide, Lyra held onto the wall, gaze glued to the flashing lights on the altar. Oh god…oh god…

_Lyra, they're safe now. _Lyra jumped, eyes widening as a soft voice echoed in her head. Looking around, she saw nothing; Lawrence was too entranced to even notice her panic. _Grab the stone and get out of there; we're waiting right outside._Wake the fuck up Lyra and don't let the world get destroyed.

She had nothing else to lose.

Letting out a yell, she swung her fist back, nailing Lawrence right in the jaw as Proton had taught her so long ago; she quickly grabbed the light stone that had begun to hum wildly on the table. Lyra shoved past him, legs screaming with pain as she broke into a run. Behind her she heard Lawrence let out a long string of curses, before the sound of his boots on the hard stone echoed with the soft pat of her sneakers. They were getting closer, and the pain was getting to be too much for her. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she rounded a bend, feet skidding when she didn't slow down. The stone hummed angrily in her hands, as if it were angry to be separated from its twin; it felt alive…

"Lyra! They're going to die if you don't stop!" Shaking her head, she panted, tears flowing down her cheeks as she approached the light at the end of the ruin tunnel.

"I don't care if these shadow Pokemon could make you the most famous person in the world! I won't let you do this!" she screamed as she broke out of the dark tunnel, sunlight warming her face. Pain hit her as she smacked into a solid form; she would've fallen backwards if a hand hadn't grabbed her own. Looking up, her face twisted in agony, her eyes widened. Light blue eyes pierced her own, the owner a young man with wild light blue hair and a beautiful face. A tan Rocket uniform was draped over his lithe frame, the R a bright red beacon compared to the rest of his appearance. Before she could say another word, she was pulled behind him.

A blonde man stepped beside the light blue one, this one more burly and rough looking from behind. He chuckled, crossing his arms and staring at the tunnel as Lawrence emerged.

"Hey man, need something?" Lawrence's face darkened. He raised himself up, hand trailing to one of the Pokeballs on his belt. The Rockets mirrored his motion instantly.

"Out of the way, you filthy Rockets. This is not your business." The blue haired man let out a small laugh, his voice musical and smooth.

"Oh, but it is. You will not touch her." Lyra was floored…until she remembered the treaty. The Pokemon League and Team Rocket were now companions…as weird as that sounded. She was safe. And that blue haired one's voice…it was the one she had heard in the Ruins. But how?

Her questions were soon answered when a Kadabra wandered in front of the trio, hands held out and poised for battled. He had spoken through the Pokemon, then?

Lawrence held the glowing dark stone in his hand, panting as he stared them down. She held the stone close to her chest. The blonde Rocket suddenly glanced at her, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Wait, there are two?!"

"He needs em both," she said darkly, eyes glued to the collector before them. Lawrence sneered, the first sign of anger she had ever seen on his face.

"I knew I should've killed you from the start," he snapped, tossing the Pokeball he had strapped to his belt forcefully. A Ninetails sprung out, growling as it did so. "Fireblast!"

She was yanked to the side as the flame skimmed her hair, fear filling her veins. Next thing she knew, her belt was being shoved into her hands, her Pokeballs all intact. While the blonde Rocket released a Muk, she quickly let out her Vaporeon.

"Hydro pump!"

"Hyperbeam!" Lawrence suddenly bellowed, determination set in his face. The two attacks collided, dust swirling around the giant energy ball that had developed in the middle. For a second it appeared the Ninetails attack was overcoming her Hydro Pump…but then it exploded all at once. Smoke erupted. The ground started to rumble. Looking down, her eyes widened as the ground itself started to crack beneath her feet. The blue haired Rocket moved quickly to grab her, wrapping his long, lean fingers around her arm.

"Oh shit-" was all she could get out before the ground collapsed beneath the two of them; her screams echoed as they were swallowed by the ground itself.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Eh, not too happy with this chapter. Been busy. Hard to work. Hope you guys like it anyways

Team Rocket almost never bothered Proton after he left. In fact, Lyra could only recall one time that they even had a visit from a member. It was in the middle of a rainy night, and a single knock sounded in the house. Proton got up from bed, dazed, stumbling to the door while Lyra stared after him with blurry eyes. She heard the door open, and another male voice great Proton. Rubbing her eyes, she got to her feet, trying to pat down her frazzled hair. She wandered out to the top of the stairs, clad in a tank top and pajama shorts, and stopped dead in her tracks. Team Rocket. One single man, with long, light blue hair pulled back into a wild pony tail and bright blue eyes; lanky and tall, his body resembled Proton's to a T. He had no expression; he talked in a hushed tone that Lyra could only interpret as mumbles. His uniform was not like the rest of the Rockets she had seen, however. Instead of a black, cold uniform, his was tan with a blue undershirt.

"Proton?" She wanted to slap herself as soon as she said something; this wasn't her business, it was his. But here she was, interrupting. She couldn't help it. She still feared deep down that he would go back to them, and having a Rocket show up wasn't helping her fears. Both men turned to her, a slight moment of shock crossing the stranger's face. Proton frowned.

"I won't be long babe, go ahead and go back to bed," he said gently, though they both knew that she wouldn't listen. The stranger suddenly chuckled.

"I see why you left now, Proton." Proton sighed, gesturing to Lyra to come down the stairs. She bit her lip, moving slowly down the stairs to join the duo. Proton wrapped his arm around her waist as she approached, making her feel a little bit more settled. The stranger's gaze was intense; she couldn't even look away. He was a beautiful man, if not a little feminine looking, but certainly attractive. He held out his hand in a handshake, and she quickly grasped it; shockingly, his grip was surprisingly strong.

"Lyra," she introduced herself first, her brashness showing clear as day. The stranger smiled, and responded quickly.

"I am Basho. Before Proton was promoted to Executive, I, as well as another man were his partners." His voice was soft and calm, easing her worries with every word that came out of his mouth. "And no, I'm not here to convince him to come back. I merely came to check on him," he chuckled, easily picking up on her previous worries. She let out an obvious sigh of relief; Proton rolled his eyes.

"Come on Lyra. It's over. I told you. No more Team Rocket. Just two bros hanging out," Proton laughed, smacking Basho on the back loudly. Basho stumbled slightly, shooting Proton a look.

"Some things never change, huh?" All Lyra could do was laugh, relief filling her head and love flooding her heart.

She was floating. How was she floating? Her body still hurt, that was for sure. The burns ached ten times worse than what they were before. She could hear soft footsteps and the slight trickle of water. Slowly, she tried to open her eyes. Everything was blurred; she looked up into what she thought was a face.

"Proton?" she mumbled, thinking of the first name that popped into her head. She was greeted with a chuckle that seemed like a ghost from her past.

"No Lyra, not exactly. I thought you would've recognized me out there…but I suppose it's been a while, hasn't it?" That voice again…soft, calming…just like that night. Wait…

"Basho?" she asked unsurely. Her vision started to clear, and she was greeted with the sight of the mysterious blue haired man. It was Basho alright. The same man who had shown up on their doorstep six months ago was now cradling her gently in his arms. She looked up past his face, merely seeing the roof of a cave. All around her water trickled around them; there must be an underground stream nearby.

"Of course."

"So he's ok?" Basho chuckled again, ducking as they came to a low ceiling that was dripping water.

"You really love him, don't you?" When he saw how her worried look persisted, he cleared his throat, nodding. "He's ok Lyra. He's with the rest of the team. Lawrence's airship has been taken…but as you can see, we don't know what has happened to Lawrence. I can't get in touch with anyone."

"Can't they dig us out? Shouldn't we have stayed?"

"We were attacked while you were sleeping…Sandslash, as it was. Can't go back now. There were way too many to hold off with just my Pokemon." Lyra sighed. Things were just getting better and better. The ground rumbled above them. Basho's expression grew grim; she supposed things would only get worse before they got better. Without warning, he took off at a sprint, Lyra holding tightly to him as she jostled up and down.

"B-Basho?!" she managed to stutter out. The trickling water became more fierce, pointing them closer to the exit.

"We're close, and something's going on up there. We need to get out of here just in case it collapses." He said this so nonchalantly that Lyra almost just passed it off as simple conversation. Fear crept through her veins as his words hit home.

It wasn't long before they made it out, the bright sunshine blinding her as her eyes tried to adjust. Basho instantly laid her down, being careful not to cause any more pain than she was already in. She still winced anyways, every movement causing her burns to ache. Gently, Basho brushed away some of her filthy hair.

"I'll be right back, ok Lyra? Don't move from this spot," he said bluntly, standing and straightening himself up. "I mean it," he added, as Lyra started to open her mouth to protest. Downtrodden, she lowered her eyes, seeing his feet move away from her in another sprint. As soon as his footsteps disappeared, she raised her head back up, eyes defiant. Gingerly, she tried to stand, her body screaming from the pain. Gritting her teeth, she straightened, before starting in a painful limp towards the ruins. They didn't seem to be that far, but every step felt like a mile.

"Like hell I'd stay behind," she muttered, gritting her teeth in agony. Wincing, a sharp pain filled her hip. Hand dropping to her hip, a wave of surprise hit her as she felt the familiar presence within. She held the glowing light stone in front of her, the warmth comforting. "How could I have forgotten?" Maybe she could use it against Lawrence…Oh who was she kidding? She barely had an idea as to how it worked. Lyra sighed, sliding it back into her pocket.

The noises of battle inched closer and closer with every step she took. The ground vibrated against her feet; ahead of her, lights flashed and explosions rocked the earth. She swallowed harshly, feeling sweat pour down her back as she came into sight of the group. Her hands trembled as she stared ahead, taking in the sight. The blonde Rocket lay motionless on the ground; she hoped dearly that he was merely knocked out; there was no sign of blood. Proton and Basho stood on either side of their fallen comrade, but none had any Pokemon out. Lance stood a little further behind, his Dragonite breathing painfully behind him; it was almost as if Lance were protecting his own Pokemon from…oh god, what had happened to Lawrence?

Her eyes were drawn to the madman, who stood across from them, cackling and panting. Half of his body glowed purple, one of his eyes glowing an odd gold that stared sinisterly at the group. The dark stone was nowhere in sight.

"Come to me!" Lawrence suddenly sneered, throwing out his arm towards Dragonite. Lance went to pull his Pokeball back out, but before he could, Dragonite let out a mighty roar.

"Look out!" Lyra screamed as Dragonite suddenly slapped Lance to the side, slamming him into the boulder nearby. Proton and Basho spun on their heels, fear in their eyes as Dragonite stared them down, his eyes glowing a vivid purple. Dragonite suddenly opened his mouth wide, a glowing ball starting to appear deep within its caverns. Lyra did the only thing she could do; she ran towards them, heart about to burst out of her chest.

"No, Lyra!" screamed Proton as she dove in front of them, arms stretched wide and far. Eyes wide, she stared deep into the eyes of the purple eyed dragon, her body going numb. This was perhaps one of the dumbest things she had managed to pull off this year.

"Please…don't," she whispered low enough to where only the three of them could hear her. The Dragonite merely roared at her in response, the energy ball in his throat building and building until…

Nothing. It stopped.

Lyra was in pure shock as the Pokemon's eyes started to soften, taking on their original glow once more. Dragonite looked just as shocked and confused, stumbling backwards away from them.

"W-What the hell?!" Lawrence suddenly screamed behind them. The three turned back towards the collector, whose face was now twisted into a blinding rage. "How the fuck did you do that, you little bitch?!" Proton and Bashou immediately stepped more directly in front of her, hands dropping to their belts.

"We're fine now. With Lyra here, we can convert whatever Pokemon he controls back."

"She's in danger," Proton hissed back to the Rocket. Lyra pursed her lips, wanting to intervene but choosing not to. Instead, she ran back to Lance, letting out a sigh of relief when she felt warm breath hitting her cheek. Gently, she rearranged him to a more comfortable position, taking his own cape and pulling it underneath his head as a pillow.

"I'm here for you," she whispered, gently brushing back his hair.

"After him!" Proton yelled suddenly, causing Lyra to whip her head around. In a blink Lawrence was gone, leaving behind a tragic battlefield. Proton started to move to give chase, but Basho swiftly grabbed his arm. "What are you doing?!"

"We have wounded…we need to get back. We will regroup," Basho said harshly, eyes full of worry. Proton was about to protest till Basho butted in once more. "LYRA is hurt." A look of realization swept across his face. Pain filling his eyes, he looked back towards Lyra, who looked away, flushing. Proton seemingly forgot everything about Lawrence at that moment, running back over to her and falling to his knees. His hand softly grasped the side of her face; she turned into it, closing her eyes gently.

"Lyra…I'm sorry Lyra. I just…he hurt you. He needs to pay, Lyra." She only nodded, shutting her eyes as exhaustion started to overcome her. He was there to catch her, and in his arms she stayed.

He was there when she woke up.

It was a nice change. She awoke in his arms, fully bandaged and body feeling much better. She tried to move, but found that Proton was clinging too tightly to her to even shift positions.

"Stop wiggling, pet. Even if you're hurt I may have to take advantage of you," Proton grunted in her ear, sending goose bumps up her arms. She smiled, and turned her body so she was facing him. Looking into his green eyes was like looking at a bright sunny day; it just brought her so much joy and warmth. He was looking at her like he did before, like they were together once again.

"I missed you," was all she could think of saying. Proton chuckled, raising a hand to brush away some of her hair.

"I've missed you too. You've been sleeping for a while. Had me worried."

"How long?"

"Three days." She let out a little gasp, eyes widening. What about Lawrence? "We don't know where he is," Proton stated, seemingly reading her mind, "But it's ok. He's not making enough trouble right now to cause a scene. Right now we're waiting for everyone to recover and then we're going to go over the next step."

"I love you," she suddenly blurted out, not even knowing where the words came from. Proton smiled gently back at her.

"I love you too, Lyra," and with that, he pushed his lips against hers.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: OH MAN HI GUYS. Sorry, end of the semester crap and graduation and job hunting and shit. Got an interview though, so MAYBE I'LL GET A JOB WOOOOOOOOOOOO. Second to last chapter :D

Sleep was not coming easy to her.

It was infuriating, given the circumstances. After all, she was back with Proton. They were in the same bed. She was no longer alone. What was the big deal?

Easy, there was a madman running around with a power he couldn't even control.

Sighing, she leaned over the balcony of the hotel room they were in, peering down into the quiet streets below. Goldenrod was awfully quiet. Even though it was the middle of the night, usually the streets were still bursting with excitement. Perhaps the league had issued a curfew?

Her hand fell to her pocket. The crystal hummed to life at her touch. She felt safer as long as it was there with her. Without it, Lawrence could be stopped. The question was, was she strong enough to do it? Warm arms suddenly encircled her body. Her question was answered. Dipping her chin down, she shut her eyes, letting the cool night breeze blow across her body.

Yes, as long as he was there.

* * *

"So that's it then?" Lyra said nothing. She refused to even look him in the eyes. She felt like a damn coward, but she couldn't stand to see the pain in his eyes. "I won't be here to pick up the pieces again." And with that, the door slammed shut. She choked back a sob. She felt like she just lost a best friend. Rubbing her eyes, Lyra sniffed, pushing back thoughts of the dragon tamer as best as she could. When he had come to her, heart full of feelings…she had had no choice. She had to tell him about Proton. And as expected, it went horribly.

She needed to focus on the now. The league had met and plans had been decided. Lawrence had been discovered to be holed up in his mansion at Mt. Silver. They were going to attack in the middle of the night. Proton was completely against her going…unfortunately for him, it seemed as if the crystal would only respond to her. She was their ace…she didn't have a choice. The airship suddenly groaned, shaking the ground below her feet for a moment. She placed a hand against the wall, grimacing. Great. Crappy weather.

Ellie started to whine pitifully at her feet; smiling slightly, she picked up the Chikorita, cuddling her against her chest and calming her. Ellie wasn't one much for flying, that was for sure. The little thing was trembling and shaking like a leaf—no pun intended. _Crackle._ The loudspeaker suddenly crackled to life.

"_Attention,_" Will's static filled voice rumbled over the speakers, "_We'll be reaching Mt. Silver soon. Everyone report to the deck, and be prepared to descend._" Ellie whined again. Clearly Proton wasn't the only one keen on having them down there.

"It'll be ok girl."

To be honest, she didn't believe a word of it.

As she walked into the room, all she saw was Lance's back. Proton's handsome face did nothing to alleviate her guilt, seeing as how he was arguing with Will over by the steering wheel. She didn't even have to get close to guess what it was about.

"Huh. The old Proton wouldn't have given it a second thought, you know." Archer's smooth voice broke her out of her thoughts as he came up and stood next to her, arms crossed and watching the two with curiosity. She fidgeted in discomfort.

"I don't know if that's such a good thing." Archer let out a low laugh, but said nothing else. Her eyes fell to the windows. They were close; she could see the frozen trees on the mountain top clearly now. Buried amongst them stood his mansion, a cold, intimidating building that showed no sign of welcoming. She swallowed harshly. It was terrifying to her; she knew what waited inside. Lawrence wasn't a stupid man. He probably knew they were coming. The most disturbing aspect of it was the fact that he chose not to hide…that he was waiting for them to come to him.

They started to descend.

They were split into groups once more. At Proton's 'request,' they were put together, along with Archer. Their original companion had been Lance…but he had evidently been asked to be moved. He avoided her like the plague. Was it even a good idea for them to even attempt friendship again? If this was just going to happen every time…she didn't know if she could take it anymore.

She held Ellie tightly to her chest once more before giving her a gentle kiss on the top of her head and returning her to her Pokeball. Ellie was not much of a fighter, believe it or not. Her other Pokemon did most of the fighting. It wasn't that Ellie couldn't fight…it was just that Lyra honestly did not train her to become that strong. She was more or less just her companion. Her fingers trailed on her Arcanine's Pokeball. Rogue would do. She felt Archer's eyes on her, but she ignored them. She needed to focus. The crystal was in her pocket, she had her Pokemon...everything was in order.

She took a deep breath as she and Archer moved to join the infuriated Proton on the exit pad. Gently, she placed a hand on his rigid shoulder; he jerked away in surprise, then quickly sent her an apologetic look.

"We'll be ok," she whispered to him, a gentle smile on her face. She had to remain calm for him; he was going to lose it. Proton swallowed harshly, softly placing a gloved hand on the side of her face. He nodded. The pad began to descend. As much as she wanted to turn back, there was no option now. Eyes full of determination, she set her face to stone as they hit the snowy ground and stood before the mansion.

"Let's save the world, boys."

* * *

The mansion was empty. The furniture was dusty and unkempt; the floors were covered in filth. It looked as if no one had lived here for months…the only sign of life were the previous footprints found in the dust on the floor. That was their trail. Without another thought, she released Rogue, basking in the warm light her Pokeball spilled into the cold room. Proton sent out his Absol, while Archer released a Houndoom. Better safe than sorry.

They took off at a run, no one speaking a word. After all, what else needed to be said? Archer marked the wall at every turn, leaving a path for when the next group would step in if they were needed. It was a good idea. The mansion was almost like a maze. Without those footprints…they'd be so lost.

"Proton, focus," Archer suddenly blurted out as they entered a large living room. Proton gave a start, while Lyra shot him a concerned look. The green haired man pulled his cap over his eyes, sneering slightly, and didn't say a word to either of them.

The room they had entered was as decrepit as the last, but it split into three different hallways. Each one looked similar, and the footprints lead down all three. He was trying to split them up, obviously. Lyra frowned, stepping near one, Rogue following close behind.

"So he wants us separated, hm?" Archer remarked, thoughtfully holding his chin.

"Fuck him, we're going together," Proton snapped, brushing past Archer and heading down the hallway Lyra was closest too. Archer and Lyra caught themselves sighing at the same time. Exchanging looks, they nodded in unison; the duo took off, quickly chasing after their retreating companion.

The mood Proton was in Lyra liked to describe as his 'caring' mood. He was worried to death for her, and when that happens, he gets snappy and pouty. She supposed it was a way for him to cover up how he really felt, though both her and Archer were clearly able to see right through it.

She ran into Proton as he suddenly skidded to a halt; Archer managed to stop himself before he collided into her. Rubbing her nose, she glared up at his back.

"What's the-"

"Quiet." She immediately shut up when she heard the serious tone in his voice. It was then that she heard it. Strangled coughing. Hacking. Whatever you wanted to call it. It sounded like someone was coughing out a lung. Then a long, pained cry, thickly layered with a hateful rage. It made her shudder. She knew what was on the other side of that cough.

Proton was fingering a blade in front of her. It was much larger than his usual pocket knife…was that the way it was going to be done? Archer nodded at Proton and took his place behind Lyra. She felt like a sandwich, but at least she gained a sense of safety from it. Her hand found Proton's instinctively; he gave it a small squeeze before releasing it. It was going to be ok. It had to be. The three Pokemon went first, with their trainers following closely behind. What she saw made her want to vomit herself.

Lawrence was keeled over, holding himself, and hacking violently. Blood spilled from his lips, and his body trembled and shudder with every cough. His whole body now glowed a sickly purple; his flesh appearing as if it were rotting. Her hand flew to her mouth as another puddle of blood poured from his mouth.

"An after effect of not having the other crystal," Archer muttered, moving cautiously towards the man. Her crystal was humming erratically in her pocket, almost as if it were calling to the other one. Lawrence suddenly belted out a painful sounding laugh, ending it with a stream of coughs.

"So much power…so much…and yet…I need that crystal Lyra…GIVE ME THE CRYSTAL!" He was gone in a flash, then reappeared directly in front of her, eyes wide and strained, glowing golden and purple. Lyra let out a scream which was quickly answered by Rogue tackling Lawrence to the ground with a furious howl. With a quick flick of his wrist, Lawrence sent her Arcanine catapulting across the floor.

"Rogue!" she bellowed, worry filling her heart as her Pokemon hit the wall hard, and slid down, unmoving. Rage filled her. Screaming, she flung out Ace's Pokeball, the Pidgeot bursting from the light with a bellowing cry. "Quick Attack!" she commanded fiercely.

"Absol, cut him the fuck up!"

"Nightshade!" The three Pokemon came at him at once, sending him sprawling across the floor. Lawrence yelled and screamed; if there was any sanity left in him, you could not see it anymore. He was psychotic. And then from the corner of her eye, she saw Proton making a run for him. The Rocket leapt through the air, blade pointed downwards towards his heart. Lawrence let out a cackle, before blasting Proton in the chest with what appeared to be a shadow ball.

"Proton!" Lyra screamed desperately, watching in agony as her beloved skidded across the floor. The knife landed a few feet away from her, sliding across the slick floor. Both she and Lawrence looked at the knife at once; she scrambled to her feet while Lawrence clambered to his. She screamed as her hair was pulled and her head yanked backwards to stare back into his psychotic eyes. With a grunt, she spun and thrust her knee upwards into his crotch, not stopping to see him bend over in pain. As her fingers wrapped around the knife, she was thrown to the ground.

Lawrence sloppily climbed on top of her, but was quickly knocked off as Houndoom swiftly grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him off, ripping his flesh with his teeth. It was at that moment that she saw her chance. Lyra climbed to her feet and threw herself on top of him, heart pounding against her chest. The gem in her pocket hummed with an angry buzz; it felt like it was going to burst from her pocket at any moment.

She plunged the knife directly into his heart; the sound of his flesh meeting the steel blade was disgusting. She felt sick to her stomach. Lawrence screamed and struggled as his eyes themselves started to pour blood. In his flailing he backhanded her across the face, sending her flying across the room.

"Lyra!" she heard Proton scream as she hit the floor hard, her head spinning. He was at her side in a split second, gently holding her head and helping her up. "Fuck, are you ok?" She said nothing, merely watching with wide eyes as Lawrence screamed and sputtered, convulsing violently on the floor. She had stabbed the crystal. When he had absorbed it, it had gone directly to his heart. Because of that, the only way to destroy the crystal…was to destroy him. She cringed, covering her eyes to try and stifle the sounds of his dying screams. Tears streamed down her face. He was a madman, a killer…but to die like this…

Proton's hands clamped on top of hers. Looking up questioningly, she said nothing by the look in his eyes. He held only concern for her, and pushed down harder, managing to keep most of the screams out of her head. She jerked slightly as the crystal in her pocket started to hum violently. Removing both hers and Proton's hands from her ears, she carefully took it out, eyes widening as the crystal's light was practically blinding at this point. And then…it started to float.

The room was silent. Lawrence had passed on. From his body, the shadow crystal emerged, humming as loudly as Lyra's own was. They floated towards one another, spinning and shuddering in the air around one another, almost as if they were doing their own beautiful dance. She said nothing, merely watching in silence with Proton. Rogue limped over to her, nudging her gently and breaking her from their spell. She pressed her forehead against his, feeling more tears of relief approaching.

"Good boy Rogue, good boy…" She quietly recalled him, attention going back to the gems. It was then that started to merge, making a horrible screeching sound that made the three trainers cringe in pain. What was left was a simple grey gem that slowly fell to the floor with a clatter. Archer approached it without worry, bending down and picking it up. He stared at it, eyebrows lowered.

"This is going to go where no one else to can touch it," he muttered lowly. Lyra said nothing. She wanted nothing else to do with something that even Team Rocket didn't even want to touch. Her eyelids started to droop. Slowly, she closed them, falling straight into Proton's awaiting arms. No time for thinking. It was just time to sleep.


	13. Epilogue

AN: Well, I just wanted to say thank you guys for sticking with me this long. Sorry for the short epilogue, but I feel like this is all it needs to wrap it up :)

"Liz...sit still," Lyra commanded, pushing the eight year old back down on the stool. The young green haired girl continued to squirm, causing Lyra to roll her eyes and just try to finish braiding her hair. The kid was about as impatient as Proton; in fact, the girl was pretty much a mirror image of the man. She didn't even look like her child.

"But mooooom, I wanna go play with Drake now!" Liz pouted, crossing her arms as Lyra tied her other braid quickly. Lyra smirked, patting her daughter's head.

"There, all done." The little girl cheered, quickly hopping off the stool and running to the back door. Lyra shook her head. Girl had some energy. She turned to her guest on the couch, who was staring thoughtfully at his coffee cup. Nervously, she grabbed her water bottle and took a seat down across from him. "So…"

"Lyra, I'm sorry," the red head blurted out all of a sudden, staring up at her with sorrowful eyes. She stared back, surprise evident on her face.

"Lance…I'm sorry too." He laughed. It was a musical tone. She hadn't heard him laugh like that in a long time. Perhaps a little separation was what they had needed to work things out on their own.

"For what? Being honest to yourself?" She turned crimson slightly, brushing away a strand of her loose hair. Well, he was right. The two hadn't spoken in years. The dragon tamer suddenly called her up yesterday, asking if he could come by with his seven year old son. Shocked, Lyra had told him he could…but she may have neglected to mention it to Proton. She wasn't sure how he would have reacted.

Lyra and Lance both looked to the window as they heard loud laughter. The two kids were running around with Ellie, laughing with glee at the falling petals she kept conjuring around them. She smiled.

"Those two were made for each other," Lance laughed, taking a sip of his coffee. Lyra smiled and nodded, taking a swig of her water bottle.

"Don't let Proton hear you say that. That poor girl will probably never be allowed to date."

"Don't let me hear what?" came the sound of her husband's voice as he came through the front door. He froze as he saw who was on his couch, dropping the bag of groceries on the counter. Lance and Lyra both rose; she gripped the water bottle tightly. Please don't let this be a disaster.

"Lance wanted to come by with his _son."_ Lyra stressed the word 'son' as Proton began to move forward. Relief flashed across his face for a second; as long as he knew Lance wasn't after her anymore, everything was good. She watched Proton peer over his shoulder at his little princess playing with Drake, a fiery red head like his father. He flashed a warning look to Lance.

"She can't date until she's forty one," he muttered, stomping past the two into the hallway, heading towards the bathroom. Lance watched the door, bewildered, while Lyra lowered her face in her palms.

"And you thought I was kidding…"


End file.
